The Hobbit: A Reading Guide Vocabulary: Define the terms below. CHAPTER ONE AN UNEXPECTED PARTY Flummoxed Audacious Remuneration Obstinately Reverence Questions: Be able to answer the following. 1. Give a brief description of a hobbit. 2. Who is Bilbo Baggins? 3. What did Gandalf say he was looking for when he arrived on Bilbo s doorstep? 4. Who began to arrive at Bilbo s home the next day for tea? 5. What indication is there that Thorin is the dwarves leader?
CHAPTER TWO ROAST MUTTON Vocabulary: Define the terms below. Defrayed Toothsome Mutton Purloined Rune Waylaid Questions: Be able to answer the following. 6. What surprises Bilbo the next morning? 7. What information does the dwarves letter offer? 8. Describe the trolls. 9. What are the trolls names? 10. Once captured, how does Bilbo try to bargain with the trolls? 11. In the middle of the troll fight, which dwarf first appears?
CHAPTER THREE A SHORT REST Vocabulary. Define the following terms: Ford (a river) Venerable Questions. Answer the following: 12. What is the name of the mountain where Smaug protects his stolen treasure? 13. Who are the adventurers seeking to visit, and where? 14. After reading the runes on the adventurers swords, Elrond shares what information? 15. Who or what is the Orcrist? 16. What are moon-letters? 17. What is Durin s Day? CHAPTER FOUR OVER HILL AND UNDER HILL Vocabulary. Define the following terms: Uncanny Nosebags Ingenious Questions. Answer the following:
18. What do readers learn about the Wild? 19. What goes horribly wrong once Gandalf closes the crack in the cave? 20. What are goblins skilled at making? 21. Who or what is Glamdring the Foe-hammer, and what do the goblins call it? 22. What events lead to Bilbo s becoming unconscious? CHAPTER FIVE RIDDLES IN THE DARK Vocabulary. Define the following terms: Haste (77) Splutter (79) Shambling (85) Questions. Answer the following: 23. After Bilbo regains consciousness, what does he find on the tunnel s floor? 24. Why did goblins seldom travel to the edge of the water deep inside the cave? 25. What game does Gollum enjoy playing? 26. What agreement does Bilbo make with Gollum? CHAPTER SIX
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE Vocabulary: Define the terms below. Confusticate (93) Benighted (95) Bewitchments (95) Bracken (98) Clambered (101) Plunder (102) Smote (107) Eyrie (108) Questions: Be able to answer the following. 27. After escaping the goblins, where is Bilbo? 28. What are the dwarves complaining about? 29. What does Gandalf threaten to do if the dwarves refuse to look for Bilbo? 30. Who helps Bilbo escape the wolves? 31. What is the probable reason Wargs have swarmed the adventurers? 32. How does Gandalf save the adventurers from the Wargs? CHAPTER SEVEN QUEER LODGINGS
Vocabulary: Define the terms below. Plight (114) Unimpeachable (119) Westering (119) Glowered (134) Questions: Be able to answer the following. 33. What is the name of the great rock? 34. Who is Beorn? 35. How does Gandalf suggest the adventurers approach Beorn? 36. Why will Beorn think more kindly of dwarves? 37. How does Beorn agree to further help the adventurers? ****************************************************************************** CHAPTER EIGHT FLIES AND SPIDERS Vocabulary: Define the terms below. Mirth (154) Questions: Be able to answer the following. 38. What happened when the adventurers tried lighting watch-fires? 39. What discovery does Bilbo make on the far bank of the enchanted stream?
40. Who or what charged at the adventurers upon crossing the enchanted stream? 41. What does Thorin refuse to discuss? 42. Since Thorin refuses to answer the elf-king s questions, where must he go? CHAPTER NINE BARRELS OUT OF BOND Vocabulary: Define the terms below. Portcullis (176) Astride (185) Shingly (186) Questions: Be able to answer the following. 43. What happens to the other dwarves? 44. What shows how low-spirited Thorin had become? 45. Why do all of the dwarves fear telling the Elvenking about their treasure? 46. How does Bilbo feel about everyone depending on him? CHAPTER 10 A WARM WELCOME Solemnities (195)
Enmity (197) 47. How had the land surrounding Lonely Mountain changed since the days when dwarves inhabited the mountain? 48. What is now the only safe path to the plains beyond Mirkwood? 49. Provide a description of Lake Town. Who inhabits it? 50. Why had the Master of Lake-town expressed doubt about Thorin s identity? 51. How did the community of Lake-town treat all of the adventurers? CHAPTER 11 ON THE DOORSTEP Laden (202) Thrush (209) 52. Where along the skirts of the mountain did the adventurers make their first camp? 53. Who made the adventurers search on the western slopes for the secret door?
54. What made the secret door so difficult to find? 55. Who could not travel the narrow path toward the secret door, and why? 56. Upon hearing Dwalin talk about him, why does Bilbo become frustrated? 57. Why does Bilbo remain calm when he sees the thrush? CHAPTER 12 INSIDE INFORMATION Cartage (225) Wily (225) Dubious (229) 58. What is Bilbo reluctant to do for Thorin? 59. Describe Smaug s physical appearance. 60. How did Bilbo feel at the sight of the treasure? 61. What is the first item Bilbo takes? 62. As Smaug seeks out the thieves, about whom does Bifur express grave concerns about, and why? 63. According to Thorin, who will remain in the mountain?
64. Whom does Smaug suspect is behind Bilbo s sudden appearance? 65. What is the adventurers only hope? 66. What is the Arkenstone of Thrain? CHAPTER 13 NOT AT HOME Pallid (237) Mouldered (241) Befouled (241) Furtive (241) 67. According to Bilbo, what is the only way out of the mountain now? 68. Who will join Bilbo to find a way out of the mountain? 69. What major discovery does Bilbo make? 70. What does Bilbo do with his major discovery and why? 71. At chapter s end, what do the adventurers observe, but not understand? CHAPTER 14
FIRE AND WATER Ominous (247) Marauding (248) Thatched (249) Gledes (251) Imperishable (253) Recompense (253) 72. What do the men of the lake-town Esgaroth observe? 73. What is Smaug s weakness? 74. How is Esgaroth destroyed? 75. Why were people of Esgaroth upset at their master? 76. Who else heard news of Smaug s death? 77. At chapter s end, who advances toward the mountain of treasure? CHAPTER 15 THE GATHERING OF THE CLOUDS Fortifying (261)
Parley (266) 78. Who returns with a message? 79. What do the adventurers do upon returning to the mountain? 80. What were Fili and Kili sent to find? 81. What assurance does Thorin make? 82. How does Bard end the conversation? ****************************************************************************** CHAPTER 16 A THIEF IN THE NIGHT None 83. Why does Bilbo grow afraid? 84. What news do the ravens bring? 85. What caution does Roac offer? 86. What does Bilbo tell Bard and the Elvenking?
87. What does Bilbo give Bard and the Elvenking? Why? 88. Who is immensely proud of Bilbo after all of this? CHAPTER 17 THE CLOUDS BURST Embassy (275) Forbear (277) Hauberk (278) Mattock (279) Tarry (280) Feint (283) Scimitar (284) 89. How does Thorin discover how Bard acquired the Arkenstone? 90. How does Bilbo justify his giving the Arkenstone to Bard? 91. What is Thorin s response? 92. Who is involved in the Battle of Five Armies? 93. What unites the dwarves, men, and elves?
94. Why would Bilbo prefer that Smaug had been left with all of the treasure? 95. Who returns at the end of the chapter? CHAPTER 18 THE RETURN JOURNEY None 96. When Bilbo regained consciousness, why hadn t he been carried to a camp to recover? 97. Who else made a surprise appearance in the battle? 98. What happens to Beorn? 99. What wish does Bilbo express? CHAPTER 19 THE LAST STAGE 100. Who is crowned the new King under the Mountain? 101. Which other dwarves died? 102. What was happening at Bilbo s house upon his return?
103. Which dwarf visited Bilbo years later? 104. What was Bilbo doing as the story concluded?